As promised here is an image of the collaborative piece Eric Nylen and myself have been working on in the studio. The mural is a "work in progress" featuring a youthful Neil Young, winged hearts, and falling stylized cherry blossoms. The imagery in this mural is pulled from our own personal symbols. As I have mentioned before personal symbols are images that hold meaning to the creator of them. I often use a number of symbols in my artwork. Falling leaves, cherry blossoms, infinity signs, and the color red are symbols I use often in my paintings. The leaves and cherry blossoms are symbolic of inner peace and tranquility. This imagery juxtaposed against messy aggressive text represents an inner dialog. I have also begun using infinity symbols in my paintings, looping the shape over and over the horizon line. The definition of infinity is something without limits: limitless time, space, or distance; the symbol itself is unbroken and never ending. I use this symbol in tandem with leaves and blossoms to represent ever lasting peace; beginning with peace of mind and in the larger context harmony with all of mankind. The colour red is seen in almost every one of my paintings; like blood pumping from the heart, red is a symbol of energy and life force. The use of symbols in my artwork communicates to the viewer through visual language, themes I am exploring in both my artwork and my life.
